After infiltrating the main characters' group, I became the most beautiful woman in the world.

"You disciples of Taihang Temple are truly interesting. I thought you were all as rigid as you."

Su Ning watched the two figures fleeing in panic and found it quite amusing.

Lin Ci tightened his grip on the girl's hand again, seemingly displeased that the two had just interrupted. He frowned slightly, then explained, "Huai Zhen is my grandmaster's disciple."

"I'm not very familiar with them."

So it's unclear why the two of them would do such a thing; it's truly shameful.

Lin Ci rarely spoke to his junior disciples in the temple, and therefore rarely exercised the power of a junior master.

But today he felt he needed to discipline them more in the future.

How can one act so recklessly in broad daylight?

Are you jealous?

Su Ning squinted and leaned closer, her fluffy head resting against the other's chest, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"No, I didn't," Lin Ci denied vehemently.

He's the junior uncle, how could he possibly be jealous of his junior nephew?

The young Taoist priest was shy, and when teased like this, the tips of his ears, hidden among his hair, turned slightly red.

Su Ning was naturally perceptive and stopped teasing him.

Instead, he sighed, "Sigh."

"What's wrong?"

Su Ning looked at Mount Songyun in the distance, tightened her grip on his hand, and whispered, "Look at Mount Songyun, doesn't it remind you of your sect?"

"We two are so small in the face of the mountain."

Lin Ci followed her gaze and saw the Songyun Mountains stretching endlessly. The setting sun, like melting gold foil, slanted across the dark peaks, turning the undulating ridges into a warm orange-red.

He tightened his grip on Su Ning's hand slightly, his fingertips cool, but his voice was softer than the mountain breeze: "No matter how high the mountain, it can't stop people from walking the path they want to walk."

Su Ning looked up at him. The young man's handsome profile was bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun, and even the corners of his eyes held a hint of gentle tenderness.

She suddenly smiled, her fingertips lightly brushing against his palm: "Then you'd better protect me well."

Even if I'm condemned by everyone in the future, you'll still stand by my side, right?

Lin Ci didn't speak, but held her hand tightly. A continuous warmth came from her palm, so warm, and so... firm.

The two figures gradually disappeared into the bustling world of Lingzhou City...

Not far from the Sword Casting Manor, Su Ning saw the villain from the city's folk tales who would obstruct the love between young masters and ladies.

Sure enough, Xuan Yang Daoist had a cold expression and exuded a chilling aura, so no one dared to even glance at him.

His gaze fell on their clasped hands, his brows furrowed into a deep furrow, and his lips tightened more taut than the black iron blade of the Sword Forging Manor.

After a long pause, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse like a millstone, filled with suppressed anger:

"Lin Ci."

As soon as those two words were uttered, the surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly.

Lin Ci had already stepped forward to shield Su Ning in front of him. Faced with Xuan Yang Daoist's anger, he simply bowed calmly, "Grand Master Uncle."

Do you know you're wrong?

He knocked out his nephew, killed him without saying a word, delayed returning to the village, and then mingled with a woman at the foot of the mountain.

With each and every thought, Xuan Yang Daoist's brows furrowed deeper.

If these things had happened to an ordinary disciple, Master Xuanyang would probably have expelled them from the temple immediately.

But it just so happens to be his most favored disciple, the next abbot.

"This disciple knows his mistake."

Lin Ci remained as respectful as before, which somewhat appeased Xuan Yang Daoist's anger.

"Since you know you're wrong, what about the woman who seduced you? Get out of the way!" he hissed.

But Lin Ci stood in front of Su Ning the whole time, not letting Xuan Yang Daoist see even a trace of her.

This reignited the anger that had just subsided within him. Xuan Yang Daoist flicked his sleeve, unleashing a chilling surge of true energy that shot straight to Lin Ci's face: "You wretched creature! You dare protect her?"

Lin Ci neither dodged nor avoided, but simply pressed Su Ning further behind him, his back ramrod straight, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable firmness: "Senior Uncle, it wasn't she who seduced me; it was my own free will."

"I will bear all the blame; she has nothing to do with it."

"Willingly?" Xuan Yang Daoist laughed in fury, his gaze like a knife, piercing Lin Ci. "You used to cultivate with the old abbot, your mind was clear, but after going down the mountain, you were bewitched."

"Considering she saved you before, I don't want to make things difficult for her, but look at what you did last night!"

Xuan Yang Daoist was furious and pounded his chest, supporting himself with one hand on a tree, his face grim.

Su Ning peeked out from behind Lin Ci, her eyes showing no fear, but instead gently curving her lips: "What the Taoist said is incorrect."

"Although I am unfamiliar with the ways of the martial world, I know that the Taihang Temple does not oppose marriage and having children. Why, Taoist priest, are you stopping your disciple from pursuing the love in his heart?"

Lin Ci had intended to stop Xuan Yang Daoist for her, but he didn't expect Su Ning to speak up for him, especially her words "marry and have children," which left him stunned for a moment.

"You little girl, you certainly have a sharp tongue. But considering you saved Lin Ci's life earlier, I won't argue with you."

"Just don't keep bothering the Taoist priests of our Taihang Temple. As for the past, I won't hold it against you."

Helpless, Su Ning hid behind Lin Ci again. This Xuan Yang Daoist was just an old-fashioned person, and she didn't expect to change his mind in just a few words.

However, the other party wouldn't directly frame an innocent person. He wouldn't attack Su Ning before she did anything wrong, and Su Ning was too lazy to waste words with him.

She shoved the boy in front of her. "You can go now, I'm home anyway."

The young Taoist priest was suddenly pushed and turned to look at her, only to meet her clear, bright eyes. He couldn't help but ask, "Are you... alright?"

Su Ning chuckled and said, "Your commander has come to arrest you personally, do you expect me to be the bad guy?"

"Besides, the manor is just a few steps away. How could I possibly be in any danger?"

Watching the two of them dawdling and being all lovey-dovey.

Master Xuanyang was furious. He had come secretly to catch his unruly nephew as soon as possible, because no matter what happened outside, Lin Ci was still the next successor of Taihang Temple.

Even punishments are carried out behind closed doors.

But this woman only said a few words to him, and then he left his superior officer standing aside.

Xuan Yang Daoist's current mood is no less than that of someone stealing his own plump and fresh cabbage right in front of him.

Even as Lin Ci was leaving, he still looked at the woman with lingering reluctance, while Xuan Yang Dao Ren's brows remained furrowed from beginning to end.

Su Ning shook her head and walked towards the villa, stepping on the withered branches and fallen leaves.

Xiaoqi also logged on at the opportune moment, praising, "Susu, Lin Ci's progress is already 90% complete, only 10% left."

"Hmm, if it's not full, don't tell me."

As long as the other person hasn't reached that point, it means there's still a trace of dislike in their heart; perhaps specific conditions are needed to trigger it.

Su Ning thought to herself.

However, she was soon drawn to the attention of those around her.

"Miss Xu, what are you doing here?"

As Su Ning walked up the steps, she noticed a figure crouching on the ground not far away; it was Xu Ling'er.